Centrifuge



J. J. MOJONNIER.

CENTHIFUGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20. 19l6. 1,334, 109, Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

25 Z I 2223 U NumnumEu ifi' rmirnn STATES Parana enrich JULIUS JOHN MOJ'ONNIER, OF OAK PARK, ILLTNOIS, ASSIGNOR T MOJONNIER BROS. 00., OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

CENTRIFUGE. I

Specification of Letters Patent. P t t d M r. 16, 1920.

Application filed May 20, 1916. Serial No. 98,760.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS J OHN MoJoN- NIER, a citizen of the United States, reslding at Oak Park, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Centrifuges, of which the following is a specification.

In chemical analysis, tests, extractions, and in the industrial and applied arts and sciences it often becomes necessary to submit containers or flasks inclosing mixtures of liquids and other ingredients to a rapld rotary movement or in other words to centrifugal force, in order to sharply separate suspended solid particles from the liquid, or to similarly separate and define two immiscible'liquids, usually of a different density, one from the other.

The present invention is designed to providean improved apparatus whereby such rotary movement or centrifugal force may be applied to any desired degree, to a number of flasks or containers.

With the above and other objects in view, as will be apparent, this invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts all as hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings WhGIBIIII Figure 1 is an elevation of a centrifuge constructed in accordance with the present invention, and illustrates in dotted lines the passive positions of the carrying yokes and in full lines the active or operative positions of the same;

Fig. 2 is a top plan thereof illustratmg the same in conjunction with a plurality of flasks or containers and with carrying yokes in their active or "operative pos tions;

V Fig. 3 is a fragmentary Vertical sectlon taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2 to illustrate the means for limiting the downward movement of the carrying yokes; 1

Fig. 4: is a similar'section taken along l ne li of Fig. 2 and discloses the mounting and securing of the centrifugehead to the drive shaft therefor.

In-commercial tests or extractions, such as that contemplated in the copendmg application, Serial No. 20,638 or 1n fact any test,

the efliciency and utility thereof depends greatly upon the facility and speed with which the same may be accurately carried out and completed. Where many tests or extractions are made it is highly desirable,

for the best efficiency and results, that as many steps or portions of the tests or eXtrac- Y tions as possible may be performed simultaneously. As a consequence thereof the present invention is designed to provide a means whereby many flasks, test tubes, or containers with their contents may be shaken and centrifuged simultaneously, as distinguished from the apparatus heretofore in use, where the number of flasks, test tubes or containers capable'of being carried thereby is extremely limited. Furthermore, the present apparatus is designed to accommodate many varieties and styles of flasks, test tubes or containers, as against the restricted capacity of the devices of the art prior hereto. 3

In carrying out-the present invention, a suitable source of power is provided and constitutes the motorM, which, while it may be of a size, type or character, is here illustrated and described, for the purposes of convenience, as being manually operable. Such a motor M comprises the gear keyed to the power shaft 12, the latter being rotated by the crank or handle 11 at the outer end thereof. This gear 10 meshes with a worm 13 at the lower end of the vertical drive shaft 14, which projects at its upper end beyond the casing of the motor M. Hence,'as the power shaft 12 is rotated-by its source of power, so will the drive shaft 14 be rotated in proportion to the speed of rotation of said power shaft.

Mounted upon the projecting end of the drive shaft 14 is the centrifuge head H which comprises a central bearing 19 for encircling said drive shaft, with the pairs of arms 17 17 and 18, 18 extending therefrom in such a manner that the bearing 19'forms the approximate center of said centrifuge head. This bearing 19 is traversed by a medial pin 20,- adapted to enter the oblique slot bifurcating the projecting end of the shaft 1st at an angle to the vertical plane: thereby removably securing the head H to the drive shaft 1%. To expedite the insertion of the pin 20 in the slot 15, the walls of the' latter terminate in the opposed bevels 16,- which co-a-ct to guide said pin into the slot." The provision of the slot 15 at an angle to the vertical plane presents animpedance to accidental removal of the pin 20 from the slot, and this has been found to be sufficient to normally maintain the head H in its opand..18f" respectively, wherebythe arml'? is erative position upon the shaft 14, where 'it cooperates, if desired, with supporting shoulder 21.

The formation of the head His such that the individual arms of each pair of arms.

longitudinally alined with the arm 18 and the arm 17 is longitudinally alined with the arm 18?; In order to insure a complete clearance ofthe carrying yokes (to be here-- inafter more fully described) the head H is curved upwardly atits ends thus positioning thelt-erminals of the, arms 17, 17 and 18, 18?.

above the plane of the bearing 19.

.At their terminals the arms 17, 17, 18

and18 rest in approximately the same horizontalplane andat the same time are alined one with the other. That is to. say the termi 113.1101: thearm 17 is .alined, transversely of the head H, with the terminal of the arm. 17 and,longitudinally of said, head, with the terminal of the arm 18: the terminal of the arm; 17 in addition to being alined with the terminalgof thearm 17 is also a-lined longitudinally of thehead {H with thexterminal of the .'arm;18 and the terminals ofthe arms 18,18? are alined with each; other .trans- JVBISBly ofthe said head. Hence two pairs of carrying arms are-created viz :-the arms 17,

17 and thearlns 18 and 18% As thearms 17 and-.-:18,=:and the, arms 17! and18 extend, respectively, in; opposite directions, due to the cuWaturethereof from the central bearing 19, it'is desirable to brace these arms: and for" th'epurpose-abracing web22: is interposed between the. arms-17 and '18, and also be tween the arms 17? and 18.

The terminals'of the arms 17, .17 18 and 18? areneach bifurcatedlto form the branches 23,-which; at: theirinner ends terminate in the oblique, surface 24- forming the inner end 1 of-the bifurcation; At its'inner end the ob--v 'lique surface, 24; is continued by an. extension 25*Wh1Ch'1IlCI'63SBS the area ofsaid surface;

and thereby increases its efficiency, in carrying out its function, to be hereinafter elaborated upon. These bifurcations provide .means for pivoting the carryingyokes 26 to the arms :17, 17 and 18, 18, one yoke 26 be ing pivoted to each pair of arms. Each carry ingyoke 26 comprises a single section of material bent to formthe base 26 and the arms 26* (Fig. 2) the latter at their terminals being pivoted between the cooperating branehes23 of the arms 17, 17 and 18,18 bygzmeans of the bolt, rivet, pin or other suitablefmeans27. Manifestly each pair of arms 17, 17 and 18, 18 has a carrying yoke 26 line positions in Fi 1 pivoted thereto in such a manner that it is free to swing about its pivots.

When the centrifugehead H is stationary the arms 26 of the yokes26 rest upon the oblique surfaces 24 and their extensions 25, thus supporting the yoke 26 in the dotted r sive or maetlve positions thereof. As the shaft 1% is rotated in the manner heretofore described the yokes 26 swing from the dotted to the full line positions due tothe centrifugal force of the rotation of the said shaft 1 1, and head H;

Inorder that flasks, testtubes, containers and the like may be carried by the yokes 26, the base 26? of each yoke has a-U-plate28 secured thereto midway of the arms 26 of said yoke. The arms of each of these U plates 28 are approximately parallel one to the other and extend toward the ends of the arms 26 of the yoke 26, so that. holders in which flasks or test tubes are placed will be located between said arms 26", and the flasks or test tubes held thereby will extend toward the head H. Inasmuch as the holders (to be described) containing the flasks or test tubes are placed inthe U-plates 28 andbetweenthe parallel arms thereof, it becomes apparent: that. the centrifugal force which swings theyokes v26 to horizontal positions will likewise so position the holders and also the flasks or test tubes held thereby. Natur- I ally a centrifugal force thus applied will sharply separate suspendedsolid particles fIOlllytllQ liquids; 'within'the flasks .or test tubes, or in thGr-CitSfi-Of immiseiblerliquids will similarly separatethem. I

which are the pas- Theholder: forthe-flasks. or, test tubes, 1T

which -:1 cooperates; with each yoke 26 comprises-an elongated basesor block 29, of a lengthzsubstantially equal to the lengthof thevbase 26?:of'the yoke 26, upon which, it rests between the .arms of the ,U.;.plate 28" which retainsthe block, 29 in place. This block 29 is provided with aseriesiof pockets,30. in,eonepface thereof in which the lowerends of the flasks or test tubes. rest; Pivoted; toonerlongitudinal;sidev of the block 29 is a clamping plate 31, which, when operative, rests flush. upon-the said bloc-1:29 and clamps the flasksor. test tubes in. their respective pockets 30,, said plate being pro. vided with semi-circular recesses which embrace the' test tubesor flasks. In order .to support the bodies of the flasks or test tubes F which projectbeyondthe pockets 30 in the block 29, each pocket has a skeleton support comprising a, loop '31 and the upright 32, the latter being secured to the block 29. As the loop 31'is spaced fromthe block 29 and registers with the corresponding pocket 30 thereof, it embraces the. projectingiportion of the test-tube or flask F.

The centrifugal force created by the rotation of the head H, maintains the clamping plate 31 flush against the block 29, keeps the flasks or test tubes F seated in their respective sockets, and prevents the holder gener ally from becoming displaced from its position in the yokes.

By this combination and arrangement it is possible, with a centrifuge and holders of the size illustrated, to operate upon from one to eight flasks or test tubes F. Of course if the size of the yokes 26 and the holders is increased the capacity of the apparatus will be correspondingly increased.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a head comprising a plurality of arms arranged in pairs, the free end of each arm being bifurcated, of a carrier cooperating with each pair of arms comprising a relatively long base portion terminating in angularly bent arms, the free ends of said arms being pivoted in the bifurcations of the arms of the head aforesaid, and means adjacentto' each bifurca tion for supporting the arms of the cooperating carrier when the said head is stationary.

2. The combination with a head comprising a plurality of arms arranged in pairs,

the free end of each arm being bifurcated, of a carrier comprislng a relatlvely long base portion terminating in angularly bent arms,

the free ends of said arms being pivoted in the bifurcations of the arms of the head aforesaid, and a U-plate centrally secured to the base portion of each carrier.

3. The combination with'a head compris ing a plurality of arms arranged in pairs,

the free end of each arm being bifurcated, of

a carrier comprising a relatively long base portion terminating in angularly bent arms, the free ends of said arms being pivoted 1n the bifurcations of the arms of the head aforesaid, means adjacent to the bifurcation for supporting the arms of the cooperating carrier when the said head is stationary, and a U-plate centrally secured to the base portion of each carrier.

4:. The combination with a head comprising a plurality of arms arranged in palrs,

the free end of each arm being bifurcated JULIUS JOHN MOJONNIER. 

